Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-14
HUNTING FOR RIVER THIEVES.


Creeping in n Boat Along the Wharves
and Piers of New York City. i
It was poor night for river thieves to be.
abroad They generally come out when fog
and rain and mist are thickest. Jose and
Cregan bent to their oars with a short arm
and shoulder stroke, the kind that would
drive Bob Cook wild, but is the best in the
world for this kind of work Past the silent
colony of canal boats off Jeanette park the
boat shot along awhile, then halted
Slowly and silently the men padded close
to the outer edge of the feet. On one of the
furthest boats could be seen man handling
a long hawser They watched him. satisfied
themselves that he was all right, then rowed
away They crept closely to the edges of the
wharves and piers, hiding in the friendly
shadows so as to spring out Unexpectedly on
any crooked work that might be going on.
They rowed among the fishing smacks ct
Fulton Market bnsin. Baskets, coils of rope
and hawsers lay around in the bright moon
light. Not soul was on guard. 1t seemed
strange that none of the gangs came around
to steal until you remembered the constant
fear they are in of the harbor police. The
river was as quiet as a country graveyard on
a stormy winter day. A Catherine ferry
boat stole with noiseless wheel out of her
slip. Not even the warning whistle was
sounded as she silently started out.
Into the basin between the twin "Dover
docks" crept the police boat. Giant floats
laden with freight cars rose and fell slowly
with the tide, like sea monsters asleep. A
shanty on small float was visited. There
wasn't sign of life about it. "Old Me
Donald isn't doing any work tonight said
one. Hes a SPECTATOR and sometime:
people come here to sell him things between
midnight and daylight" McDonalds dumpy
looking rowboats were moored close by
| They bobbed up and down ard made quee'
noises when the little waves broke on thei
sides, as if they were guying the officers TO
| not finding any one to arrest.
| Foul pungent and mysterious low It'd
odors, suggestive of old, dank tombs, floatei
out from under the pier Slowly the me-
| rowed their boat up between the Shiny, gra,
| timbers. Jose flashed the light through tn
| dim recesses and scanned every Granny wit
| care. Sometimes they hide boat or tw
in there with nice little jag of sugar" b
| said land snake it out lively when the
| think we're not looking" There was nothin
to be seen this time, though. Up past tn
bridge the boat skinned, each man keepin
his weather eye lifting for amphibior
crooks. The vast roadway in the air hung fa
aloft, like some fairy creation of silver. 1
stout cables and heavy guy ropes looked lii
unsubstantial cobwebs from the river.
Through and under all the open piers Il
police boat threaded its way. Ships al
barks and brigs lay at their moorings {
every hand with not a man on guard {
i. their decks And why? Because ship ca
tains in this port know that river piracy is
thing of the past. The harbor police al
Recorder Smythe have made this charmil
: style of crime so costly that the tough &c
tlemen who were addicted to it have sworn o
in the past three years the remainder of t
once active gangs that infested this city ha
been sentenced to some 100 years impriso
ment in Sing Sing. The Border Gang"
Hook Gang" used to operate from under
long wharf at Corlear's Hook. They are
gone now-New York World